I was about to say yes to the wrong man, and my body was already screaming the truth my mouth couldn't speak.
I returned to my chamber trembling, my lips still burning from Rios's kiss. I didn't light a candle, didn't bother with my usual evening routine. I simply fell onto the bed, face buried in the silk sheets, heart racing with a rhythm that matched the pulse between my thighs.
I didn't want to think about him, about the way he'd looked at me after the kiss, silver-gray eyes dark with want.
About the way he hadn't stopped me from leaving, hadn't begged me to stay. About how desperately I'd wanted more. But my body moved before my thoughts could catch up.
I shifted my hips against the pillow, slowly at first, seeking friction I couldn't name. My breath quickened as I pressed myself down, the pressure sending sparks through my already sensitized nerves.
I tried to think of anything else, of Luka's gentle kisses, of my duty, of tomorrow's ceremony.
Instead, I thought of Rios's voice, low and commanding. Of his mouth, the way it had claimed mine with such desperate hunger.
Of the heat of his hands, even though he'd barely touched me. I imagined him below me, holding me in place, telling me this is what you've always been afraid of.
The thought sent fire racing through my veins. I gasped and bit down hard on the sheet to muffle the sound, my hips moving against the pillow with increasing urgency.
My hand slipped between my body and the silk, finding the slick heat that had been building since the moment our lips met.
I stroked myself frantically, chasing the release that had been building all evening. In my mind, it was his hands touching me, his voice whispering commands, his body beneath mine as I took what I wanted.
The climax crashed over me with devastating force, my body shaking as I rode wave after wave of pleasure.
When it was over, I lay there flushed and furious with myself.
"It doesn't mean anything," I whispered to the empty room, my voice hoarse and unconvincing. "It was just... just physical release, nothing more."
But even as the words left my lips, I knew I was lying.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, perfect weather for a ceremony that would seal my fate. I was dressed in silk the color of morning sky, jewels dripping from my throat and wrists like captured starlight.
Servants fussed over every detail, ensuring I looked perfect as I was paraded through the golden halls like a prize to be displayed.
The great hall had been transformed for the occasion. Banners hung from the vaulted ceiling, and nobles filled every available space, their excited chatter creating a buzz of anticipation.
At the center of it all, beneath the royal dais, Prince Luka waited.
He looked magnificent in his formal robes, every inch the prince he'd been born to be. His amber eyes found mine across the crowded hall, soft with certainty and something that looked like love.
The nobles watched with open approval as I made my way toward him. This was what they'd all been waiting for, the moment when their future queen would be officially chosen.
My hands didn't tremble as I walked, but my thoughts did.
Part of me wished I wanted Luka enough. He was kind, intelligent, genuinely good. He would protect me, cherish me, give me a life of purpose and meaning.
Everything I'd been raised to value in a husband. But most of me still felt Rios on my skin.
The herald's voice boomed across the hall. "His Royal Highness Prince Luka will now name his chosen consort."
The crowd fell silent, hundreds of eyes fixed on us as Luka stepped forward. In his hands, he held not the simple sun pendant I'd worn before, but something far more significant, a collar of gold and sapphires that marked a woman as the future queen of Aurelion.
"Princess Penelope of Veridian," he said, his voice carrying clearly across the hall. "Will you accept this token of my devotion and stand beside me as my consort and future wife?"
The question hung in the air like a blade. This was it, the moment everything had been building toward. My kingdom's survival, my family's honor, my own future as queen. All I had to do was say yes.
I stepped forward, my spine straight and my expression serene. "I accept, Your Highness."
The words came out steady, convincing, exactly as they should. Luka's smile could have lit the entire hall as he fastened the collar around my throat.
The weight of it settled against my skin like a beautiful chain.
The court erupted in applause, nobles cheering and calling out congratulations. I smiled graciously, accepting their praise with the dignity befitting a future queen.
Luka's hand found mine, warm and steady, and I let him lift our joined hands to acknowledge the crowd.
But deep inside me, in a place where duty couldn't reach, something had already said no.